The protesters say Harvard represents the one-percent that controls the nation’s wealth.

Harvard released this statement Thursday:

Last night, several hundred demonstrators converged on the Harvard campus to express their support for the Occupy movement. The demonstrators consisted of people from within and outside the Harvard community. At the conclusion of the evening, Harvard students erected tents in the Yard, which remained through the night. We are writing now to explain the principles that have informed, and will continue to inform, our response to these activities.

First, we respect and protect the rights of members of the Harvard community to express their views on matters of public debate. These rights, of course, are tempered by the rights of other members of our community to express their views, and our need to live, study, and work in an educationally appropriate environment. Last night, people with Harvard identification were permitted access to the Yard and, consistent with our values as an educational institution, had the ability to demonstrate, to speak, and to engage in other expressive conduct.

Second, the University has a fundamental obligation to be attentive to the safety, security, and well-being of its students, faculty, and staff on campus. The events of last night raised safety concerns: The number of demonstrators was large, many of the demonstrators were not from Harvard, and specific behaviors were troubling. For this reason, the University took what we consider to be appropriate security precautions as the situation evolved during the evening.

The decision by students and other members of the Harvard community to erect tents in the Yard will require that the University continue with heightened security measures for the time being. Most importantly, no one without a Harvard identification will be permitted into the Yard. We recognize and apologize for the inconvenience this will cause to students, faculty, staff, and neighbors. But securing access to the Yard is necessary for the safety of the freshmen and others who live and work there, for the students who will be sleeping outdoors as part of the protest, and for the overall campus.

What the heck happened to free speech. This seems so contradictory to other similiar situations that have ocurred, that Harvard has tood behind. Yet when it affects Harvard people or their property specifically… its a different story???

1) Freedom of speech has nothing to do with occupying anything. 2) Freedom of assembly is what you mean, but even then it must occur within the law. 3) The ‘occupy’ movement is invading, and in this case doing so on private property. They have no “right” to assemble on Harvard.

Harvard Students–the elite who wore gas masks after 9/11–I’m disgusted and my husband is a graduate of Harvard. Seriously students get a life–the world would be a better place without your inflated egos.

Only if they make over 400,000 a yr. Do Harvard faculty make that much? I would not know. I am firmly in the 99% but still against this occupy movement. they are infringing on the rights of others and have no focus or concrete agenda except.” I want what you have!”

Why is this a shock that this is happening at Harvard? Harvard is one of the institutions that helps promote and perpetuate this type of entitlement thinking. Both Harvard and the University of Chicago have long been responsible for trying to lead this country into the secular progressive utopia the left has always sought.

The decline of the Ivy League and other universities began in the early 1960’s. when the presidents and provosts caved to the student protestors. Moral and ethical relativism has been taught in the great schools for years, and now in the absence of standards, the off campus crowd, mostly deadbeats, demand
redress and MONEY.
The Harvard Provost should have defended the univesity and the enrolled students; All other are tresspassing.Remove the tents and the offenders.
And any student who “feels” strongly about the rights of the outsiders, let him or her join the outsiders off campus. Otherwise, a university is a place for learning and not demonstrations.

Harvard’s connections to Wall Street are legiondary. Larry Summers, Timothy Geitner, Lloyd Balnkfein, Robert Rubin, et al.. Harvard long ago ceased being an institution of higher learning and became obsessed with making money at all costs. Harvard is part of the problem – a large part.

I wonder how many accounting and finance majors were there? Probably none because they have futures as being productive members of society. More likely than not , these were the kids who are in the process of obtaining useless liberal arts or sociology degrees. Also, where do they think the money comes from for their Ipad’s, Iphones and Harvard education? Oh wait… it is their parent’s who make their money on Wall Street and in other business ventures that pay for all this stuff. The Occupy movement is so hypocritical.

The one percenters occupying Harvard Square should demand 1 percent of the university’s 26 billion dollar endowment. so as to redistribute the wealth to the actual 99 percenters. This is a reasonable request that some may consider extortion, but I’m sure some MENSA card carrying tenured Harvard Professor could easily justify in 10 thousands words.

I recall one woman proudly stating she come from an impoverished household. If true, she’s getting a free ride on her tuition courtesy of the endowment that others (many 1 percenters) have created. Funny she didn’t mention that.

Harvard is imitating Governor Ronald Reagan, who would not allow Vietnam and otherr protesters to disrupt the continuation of the functions of California education institutions and their administration

Dena,
So am automatically a criminal since worked my ass off all through college, worked two jobs, was a division one NCAA athlete, the president of my school’s community service organization and I have an accounting degree with a finance background? It just goes to show that people with your mindset will be serving me my lunch on business trips. And by the way I don’t agree with everything that Wall Street has done. Dena, do yourself a favor and go protest Washington. They have done more harm to this country then Wall Street has ever done.

Were you born with that ego or did your institution of higher education bestow and impart said blessings upon you? Clearly you learned nothing other than how to milk the system. Accounting? So worthless, I’m guessing you went to grad school as well.

Jimm Bobam,
Actually Jimm I didn’t go to grad school. And I have not milked the system, I just have worked hard. Is it a crime to mind my own business and work hard? I guess it is. SORRY! It might just as well be easier to join the occupy movement and wait for some massive wealth re-distribution that will never happen and a handout like you are.

Rossr, you have every right to be proud of yourself. You worked hard to get where you are and these occupy people just expect everything to be handed to them. They do not see that they are ruining this country!

They should find the fudge packer Barney Franks yard and protest there it they really want to hit the target. Housing crash cause by Barney – Bank collapse due to housing crash – Bank collapse leads to wall street collapse

Yup Barney and Chrissy Dodd and the rest of the socialist that supported them.

The Constitution Of The United States Of America protects your right to LAWFULLY ASSEMBLE. It does NOT protect your right to OCCUPY. You have perverted the right to LAWFULLY ASSEMBLE into a socialist / anarchist revolution. You are the lowest 1% of society run by the top 1% of society and you don’t even know it. We the remaining 98% are SICK OF YOU. YOU ARE NOT PROTESTING, THAT TAKES A DAY OR TWO AT MOST…. YOU ARE OCCUPYING!!! END THE OCCUPATION NOW, ARREST THE OCCUPIERS AND GIVE THE LAND BACK TO THE 98% !

You hit the nail right on the head! The rest of us are sick and tired of having our public parks, ect looking like refugee camps. In Bethlehem Pa one is set up between the public library and the City Hall. I hope they make them move before the Tree Lighting Ceremony when the 98% would like to enjoy their public space!

I saw lots of companies run into the rocks by stupid Harvard MBA graduates.This happened from the 1970s to the1990s. Only one I knew was worth anything — and ONLY because he got an engineering degree first.

At least the Occupy groups are out there doing something, which is more then most of us have done about the crisis our country is in. As far as Harvard is concerned, no one seemed to mind that Mark Zucherberg was out trying to recruit students from Harvard to work for Facebook. He himself was a Harvard drop out. Everyone went to bat for him because he was being picked on because of his business attire, or lack thereof. The point is that many good things have come out of Harvard too.

Since the Occupy group is protesting growing income inequality, corporate greed and the worldwide influence of to big to fail financial institutions, I can only assume that the majority of posters here support those issues.

This protest is like camping out in your back yard as a little kid. When they get cold, hungry and scared they can just get up and go into thier dorm room for a cup of warm milk and a blanket.
Do these protesters understand the irony of their actions, elitist protesting an elitist university. What are the social and economic backgrounds of Harvard students, What percentage of them are working thier way through college. How many are getting a free ride because they are poor and of the right racial or ethnic background. How many are having their education paid for by Mommy and Daddy?
Why are these students for open borders but you must have an ID to enter their camp. They are consistently inconsistent. It’s like they have their own gated community.
There is something called institutional greed and that is practiced by the Educational apparatus and our politicians and goverment – that is where non prodcuers take from the producers because they can. Maybe the protesters should re-think (or rather think) about their position rather than spout that capitalism is bad without realizing how much they have benefitted from other people working their butts off.

Judging by many of the stabby Occupy comments here, it seems many of you haters here are likely ignorantly blissful and bold in your armchairs. Revolutions generally start with our poorest, most intelligent, and those who see the truth and seek justice. If you don’t get what’s wrong with the way banks, Wall Street, corporations, and the rest of the 1% is ramming you in the backside, you’d be best off not saying anything at all. It is not just youth out at Occupy either protesting what is so wrong with this country. Good for the Harvard students for having the passion and awareness to join the rest of the country in long overdue protest. As Dr. MLK would say, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”